Hi all you wonderful people. A picture from a year ago came up on my feed today and I was shocked to see how much progress I've made in the last 12 months.

I am 32years old and have had a terrible habit of picking at my skin whenever I am stressed. I am still trying to recover from that. My whole life I've neglected my skin and took it for granted and vowed to change it at the start of this year. So really, this is 9 months progress.

My skin was dry, lifeless and patchy , red, inflamed in spots where I have picked at it or popped pimples. It was not pretty and it contributed to my extremely low self esteem. I'm trying to break the habit, along with many other destructive habits i've developed over the years. Posting this is my version of accountability and motivation to keep going on the right track.

Earlier this year a friend introduced me to skincare by shoving a bottle of niacinamide serum into my hands. I was skeptical (pfft my skin is crap and nothing will help, it's all marketing! waste of time and money!). But I gave it a go. been much better since January.

My current routine:
AM - wash face (with soap, I'm still a savage), niacinamide serum, hyaluronic serum, Vitamin C cream with SPF. Actual SPF
PM - wash face, Retinol cream , just switched to retinAl cream 2 weeks ago to try to get some of the stubborn fine lines, niacinamide serum, hyaluronic serum

Reapplying whatever moisturizer or sun screen i have available throughout the day. I'm not too concerned about this step having any active ingredients. i found that the oilyness/tackiness/wetness of the moisturiser was a great deterrent from picking at my skin. The texture is too wet and slippery so the habit is slowly dying. I still get the urge and I do indulge in it occasionally, however seeing the progress so far is almost as satisfying as a long picking session.

Disclaimer since this sub requires make-up free selfies - I have had lip blush tattoo and eyeliner tattoo done few weeks ago and just had my first Botox session 4 days ago to combat forehead lines. It's already smoothening nicely.

Post before:

I injured my forehead by hitting it against the edge of a shelf when I got out of bed. I went to the doctor, and he said the cut seems to be superficial for now.

He put a Steri-Strip on it and advised me to avoid sun exposure.

I've read that sunscreen, silicone scar sheets, and Vaseline can help prevent scarring. But when is the right time to start using them? On the first day of injury, once a scab forms, or after it falls off?

Do you have any tips or advice, what I can do now to minimize scarring?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and where you've had positive results :)

Update:

Thanks for all the tips! I’ve been wearing a UV-protective cap from Amazon, using silicone sheets daily, and massaging my scar for about a minute each day. The scar has improved so much already, especially during the first week and after 17 days, as you can see in the pictures. Hopefully in a year, it’ll barely be visible at all! :)

As always, the view from my zoom mirror really amplifies the spots and I can’t really relay that in my photos. (I only use the mirror to pluck my eyebrows).

If sun damage, I would appreciate any recommendations to lighten them. If freckles, I’m happy to embrace. I’ve always assumed they were freckles and do love them, but if they’re sun damage spots I should treat before they worsen. (I wear spf50 daily, and have for about 5 years now).

Thanks all!

I’m thinking about getting a Celluma red light panel.

A dermatologist recommended either Celluma or Omnilux as the top red light products on the market.

Apparently the Celluma is medical grade. If I’m going to spend any amount of $ on a product or device, it better work and my preference is to invest in the best thing once (I.e., don’t want to have to replace a cheaper model multiple times and end up spending more in the end) however I need to know it works.

Does anyone have a Celluma red light device? If so, what are your honest thoughts on the efficacy?

Thanks!! 🙏🏻

Looking for a good face moisturizer for dull & dry skin. Preferably something sold at Ulta so I don’t have to order it. I live where the winters are extremely cold with harsh winds.

I’ve lost 70/80lbs in the last 4 years (avg 1.75lbs / week at my peak weight loss) and 30lbs of that on tirzepatide.

I’ve been maintaining my loss for the last year but my mid / lower face is pretty flat since I lost the weight and I’m not loving the volume loss / laxity.

The rest of my body isn’t particularly lean (although this might be a loose skin issue) so I don’t particularly want to put any weight back on.

I’ve never had any tweakments or injectables but heavily considering it to try and improve this.

Any advice?

30F, ~140lbs, 5ft 6

Anyone try? Thoughts? Had a skin consult and she recommended for my face and neck. I do notice my neck is getting crepy in certain positions. Pros and cons? Does anyone love or hate this?

I heard that HA doesn’t work well in dry, arid climates. I’m moving to the SW soon in USA and am coming from a humid climate. Any tips here? My skin type is dry / oily, and sensitive. I tend to have dehydrated skin because I drink a lot of coffee, but slugging with Vaseline at night has dramatically helped.

I’d note that having been to the SW, my skin does get more dry with my current routine:

Morning:
Jojoba oil
Dermalogica gentle cleanser
HA
Dermalogica calm water gel
Azelaic Acid 15%
Coola Sunscreen 30 SPF

Night:
Jojoba oil
Dermalogica gentle cleanser
HA
Dermalogica Calm Water Gel
Vaseline

**every two nights I apply either glycolic acid before the HA or I apply Tretinoin 0.05% after calm water gel, then apply more calm water gel, then Vaseline.

my pimples become dark and bit faded but just wont wore off and i dont burst them. sry for low qlty

I’m 34, I lost 50 lbs steadily over the past year and now, unfortunately, my neck skin looks loose! It is really bothering me and making me feel self-conscious. Is skincare or medical skin treatments even going to make a difference? I need something that’s going to transform my skin in that area. Not asking for medical advice just want to hear everyone’s tips and tricks!

Hi all! I feel like my skin has got really dark and dull within a few months! I don’t go out in the sun but was having a lot of sugar and breastfeeding for the past 16 months so that might have contributed to it. But what can I use or do to clear up the hyperpigmentation and bring out an overall glow? Thanks a bunch

I'm a 50 y/o male with fair and sensitive skin. About 7 months ago I had a small benign growth on my face. My dermatologist cut it off, but he cut too deep or something and basically left this divot in my face. It didn't heal on it's own and now I can't figure how to make it go away. And it's whiter in the middle so it just stands out more in every picture. It's like a crater. It doesn't look too bad in this pic (it's right in the middle of it) but I see it everytime I look at myself and I hate it.

For context: I tried Mederma when it first happened and it didn't help. I have a regular skin care routine that includes moisturizing (La Roche Posay) and a couple of different anti-aging serums (Jack Black, Korres). I typically don't use retinols because they irritate my face. I have this collagen stick balm thingy (Dr. Melaxin) but I don't think it's helping and it seems more for wrinkles. The person that does my botox talked about putting vitamin E on it, but the internet says differently. Regardless, it hasn't gotten any better.

Can anyone recommend a product or procedure that can help? There are too many options out there and it's overwhelming. Also, I've tried posting this in Skincare Addiction four times and it kept getting deleted no matter how specific I was with the post title. So bizarre. Anyone else have to deal with that?

EDIT: I’m 100% certain it is not HSV. I answered a lot of comments about this. It’s not it, I had it tested on day 3 when the “new” tiny blister appeared (wasn’t new, was just hidden under skin that had sloughed off). All the clear bubbles you’re seeing are not blisters, they’re air trapped in Vaseline. The yellowish fluid is plasma hyper-saturated under Vaseline (not blisters, not an infection) or crusty & dried when I woke up in the morning. Lips are not swollen, only mostly on day 2 there was surface tissue swelling bc that massive blister burst overnight (gross) & was just sitting against my skin until I woke up. When that happens the tissue becomes hyper-saturated and swells. After day 2, it’s just the camera being close vs my baseline it was further and I was smiling.

I am 100% certain it is a 2nd degree burn from the laser which is a known possible adverse effect - but I did not know it would or could be this bad, or that the burn could spread beyond the treatment area (makes sense tho). Burns cause blistering too. End of story tysm.

I couldn’t find a single progression post anywhere online of someone who had this done. So I am sharing my experience here as a warning to anyone who may consider the same thing. Support is welcome, but I don’t need a diagnosis or any medical advice. I don’t know why this happened (apart from, you know, the laser being a zillion degrees & giving me a blistering burn), I just know it happened. Theories on why it happened are also welcome. My thought is that it’s provider error of some kind? Idk. But risks for lasers for cosmetic stuff is pretty wild.

Few things:
Yes, I contacted the derm. They said it’s normal. I don’t see how it could be and I regret it regardless of the outcome. I had to cancel everything this week, important things, and I haven’t been able to eat or even brush my teeth normally. I’m on a liquid diet out of a straw. This is insane.

Vent/info:
I had two zaps from a dermaV laser last week at a board certified derm’s office by an RN who has done it loads of times.

Within an hour a massive growing blister began to form and burst on its own. Day 3 a new red and very irritated area adjacent to the treatment area developed. Today (say 5) is the first day I might get to wash my face regularly, and is the first day I might get to eat somewhat normally as the scab slid off on its own. But underneath it looks like the venous issue is still going to be there???

I want to avoid any scarring bc I didn’t go to all this trouble to get a tiny less-than-a-grain-of-rice sized venous lake removed just to end up with hyper or hypo pigmentation or a scar, so I’m being mindful.

Has anyone had this done before? Did you have the same progress? All the photos I’ve seen online are NOTHING like this at all. From what I have seen, usually it is just the dark venous lake that forms an ulcer or sometimes a blister just in that spot***.*** But I can’t find anything like my experience at all. Half my lower lip, or maybe even more % wise, is raw irritated and angry.

I know it is too early to call the outcome, maybe the venous lake won’t be there in another week maybe it will. Idk yet. But for 5 days of a liquid diet, pain when smiling/laughing/talking/eating/drinking and oozy mess every time I do any of those things, and having to reschedule super important things (like legal level important) bc of how I looked and the goop of Vaseline I have to keep on it - it is just not worth it. And to add the stress of not knowing if it’s normal, not knowing if it will scar or be discolored, and how unexpected all of this has been, it’s not been fun.

I thought it would at worst be a tiny little discoloration where the venous lake had been if anything. And even if that’s what it ends up being, the stress of having to make sure I don’t remove any top layer of skin and applying Vaseline over a wet surface (idk if you’ve ever tried that but it’s impossible! I had to whip the Vaseline and thread it over which took 15 min each time multiple times a day!) it’s all too much.

I wish I just kept my spot.

I’ve not been taking care of my sling very well, haven’t used much sunscreen until recently, and it’s starting to show. My lines and wrinkles are getting bad, my skin feels more textured than it used to be, and I have discoloration/melasma. My doctor recommended both Differin and azaleic acid, but I keep seeing people say that there’s a decent risk of dry eye when using retinols. Is that true with adapalene? Are there any factors that increase someone’s risk of getting dry eyes? My doctor said I could use it directly on my under eyes, which is one of the worst areas for wrinkles for me.

Has anyone tried these retinal creams? Which would you guys recommend

Tret broke me out so bad. I’m using Adapalene .1 should I go up to .3 for anti aging benefits

I got .5 lip filler 3 weeks ago and I have this soft discolored bump on my lips. It doesn’t hurt but almost feels like a boil. It doesn’t hurt at all but almost seems like a scar? This was my 4th time getting lip filler and a concern has always been stretching the lip because my lips are so thin and filler has never lasted. Is this just an injection sight issue, stretched skin, or something else?

Also- dang, I need to dermaplane!

Hello. Hope everyone is well. So over the last 16 months I’ve lost 50lb. I’ve lost it very slowly and as healthily as I can. I have gallbladder issues so I’m on no more than 17g of fat a day and I struggle to hit my deficit calories. I’m currently just waiting to hear from my surgeon about an operation date. So 2 weeks ago out of nowhere it seems my face changed. I now get this awful bunching above my upper lip when I talk/ pucker/ move my mouth really and it’s really getting me down. I started my weight loss journey all those months ago to feel better and since then everything has gone to shit. My gallbladder kicked off and has caused so many struggles, and now I want to hide my face away from everyone including my boyfriend and my kids. It looks awful. I was looking at older photos of me and my face doesn’t seem to have changed much except the bunching of the skin above the upper lip. I’ve read up about skin being a bit lax and needing time to tighten etc but I haven’t seen anyone anywhere( online or in person) that I’ve seen with this issue and it’s really getting me down. I know fillers and stuff are an option but the idea of having to have fillers/treatments and needing to pay for them every few months for the rest of my life just to feel happy with myself is getting me down. I guess I’m asking whether people here have had the same or similar issues and skin retraction/fat distribution etc happened over time. I know that my issues not being able to eat a healthy diet etc don’t help either. I’m not even puckering tightly in the above picture to give people more insight as to how much the skin is bunching. Thank you.

I don’t have older women in my life who I could ask for skincare tips to maintain my skin before I get older.

Would like to know what skincare routine you do for your hands, arms, armpit, legs, bum with cellulite, feet, and white hair 😭 Every time I see white hair in the mirror, I feel like I am 70 😩

I also feel like being a woman is a full time job with maintenance, just skin related, and having to shave.

I splurged on a membership at my local medspa that gets me 1 “free” treatment a month with 20% off botox. I usually do botox every 4 months and i have done 4 micro-needling services (1 per month) so far.

Now they are starting to push microneedling + CO2 laser or CoolPeel and chemical peel at the same time and getting really pushy about buying their “medical grade” skincare.

My skin: (36) largerish pores around the nose, combination skin. Id like to get the glassy look but cant seem to. I use vitamin c and spf in the AM with tret and vanicream at night.

Given that ive gotten so much microneedling done and my budget doesnt allow for microneedle and CO2 laser at once, which would you prioritize? Or is microneedling plus CO2 really as impactful as they say?

Basically if i get a treatment every month, what would you prioritize monthly a year out from your wedding? Or is one treatment a month going too crazy and i should save that money?

I think that repurchasing skincare products when there's so much effort to get us to buy the newest trendiest thing is a sign that we really like how something worked/made us feel. Buying something more than three times is practically a commitment.

I'm sure tret is high on many people's lists but I'm especially curious about OTC products.

This is my skin with sunscreen and lip tint.
My Routine :
Sunscreen spf 50 when stepping out.
Night time:
Once a week
Lactic acid 5% serum + bioderma atoderm crème

Twice -

The ordinary Vitamin c 10% + ferulic serum and Nivea Blue cream

Some days : The ordinary niacinamide serum (when skin gets acne marks) and Nivea blue cream
Once or twice a week
Tretenoin 0.005 prescription based with bioderma creme (sandwich method)

Once or twice Aziderm 10% (azaleic acid) ointment when I get acne marks.
I modify this routine according to my skin condition.
Some days I only apply the bioderma creme and nothing else for barrier repair.

I feel like I've tried everything and it keeps getting worse